Last year when many schools around the country implemented new school lunch guidelines, the move sparked protest among students and the movement got off to a rocky start.
Children resoundingly rejected the new menus, forcing many school districts, Los Angeles Unified School District included, to re-evaluate their implementation plans.
The difficulties and issues school districts are facing with school lunches, however, run much deeper than just picky eaters. If a school district wants to instill a healthy lifestyle in students, they must implement nutrition plans that educate beyond the lunchroom.
Children must be taught health and nutrition at a young age, and then these plans must be executed throughout their educational career.
An example of one school doing this is Mark Twain Middle School in Los Angeles. They use a school garden as a catalyst for learning in various subjects like math and history, while using the food grown in the garden for school lunches.
This has led the Los Angeles school board to vote to expand nutrition education to be integrated into the curriculum.
"We have a sacred obligation to make sure we do everything in our power to raise the quality of our nutritional content," Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board member Steve Zimmer said to The Los Angeles Times.
While they may not need to be as extensive as Mark Twain Middle School, other school districts must follow LAUSD's example if they want their new school lunch plans to have a lasting effect on children.
In addition to implementing nutrition programs into the curriculum, other measures can be taken.
Deborah Lewison-Grant and Carolyn Cohen, Co-Founders of FoodFight, an organization dedicated to raising health and nutrition awareness in schools, explained that teachers should set the example.
"We can't expect students to make healthy choices (either in or out of school) while the adults in their learning communities are plunking down sugary drinks, chips and candy bars on their desks and ignoring conventional wisdom about eating well balanced meals," Lewison-Grant and Cohen wrote in a blog post.
They continued, explaining that, however, teachers themselves must be educated in nutrition as well.
"At the same time, we can't expect teachers to act as role models for their students without giving them the knowledge they need to make healthier eating and buying decisions and supporting their own health and wellness needs," Lewison-Grant and Cohen wrote.
Ultimately, a combination of example and education is the only way to truly get children to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Just giving kids a new menu won't cut it, because they just won't eat.
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